i think by '57, '58, there was a genuine sense that territorial rule was wrong if america was to achieve a role of world leadership. and what worse example to the world than for the congress of the united states to prevent a statehood bill from being voted on? >> narrator: finally the statehood bill was slated for a floor vote in the house on may 28, 1958, and a young vic fischer was there to witness it. >> i happened to be in washington d.c. in may of 1958 when the u.s. house approved statehood. and it was thrilling to be in the gallery and have the vote be tallied, and at the key point where the majority vote was cast, bob turned to the gallery. it was very emotional. bob turned to the gallery where his staff sat, and i was with the staff, and bob went sort of like this. we made it. and it was a very emotional moment. >> narrator: now statehood's fate was in the hands of the senate, where the bill was scheduled to come to the floor in the last week of june. on the morning of june 30, 1958, former constitutional delegate george sundborg was back at work in the newsroom of the fairbanks